NH University System Punishes Student Who Refused Pronouns in Byline: 'Unconstitutional Action'
A New Hampshire college student is demanding his school correct "its unconstitutional actions" after it removed his online publication because he refused to use personal pronouns in a byline.
Liberty Counsel sent a demand letter to the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) on behalf of the unnamed student for infringing on his free speech rights by requiring personal pronouns in a newspaper article byline.
According to the non-profit legal group, USNH published an online news article by the student last year and added the "He/Him" pronouns to the byline without his permission.
When the student voiced his religious objections to the pronouns, his article was removed.
"The student believes God created humans only male and female and that these sexes cannot change. Therefore, he contended that the pronouns communicated a false message that gender is subjective which is inconsistent with his Christian faith," attorneys with Liberty Counsel explained.
For nearly a year, the student repeatedly requested that the university remove the pronouns from his byline.
Just last month, the university chose to remove the entire article rather than remove the two pronouns.
"This was an outcome that (the student) did not request, and which a reasonable observer could conclude was retaliatory and unlawful censorship," reads Liberty Counsel's letter.
In their letter, Liberty Counsel told the school that the right to free speech and expression includes "both the right to speak and the right not to speak at all."
"The courts have affirmed under the First Amendment that government organizations cannot compel individuals into 'involuntary affirmation' or force them to 'mouth support' for any religious, political, or ideological view that they do not believe," explains a statement from the group.
"Students do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate," it added.
The organization is requesting that USNH correct its unconstitutional actions and respond to Liberty Counsel's letter by February 28, 2025.
"The First Amendment guarantees a person's right to express, or not to express, according to his or her religious beliefs and political values. In this instance, the University System of New Hampshire has arbitrarily attached pronouns to a student's name which conveys a false message with which the student disagrees," said Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver.
"Compelling everyone in the marketplace of ideas to express the same message about the same idea is unconstitutional. There is also no excuse for the university's retaliatory censorship in removing the article when it simply could have granted the student's request to remove the pronouns. USNH needs to correct this potentially costly mistake," he added.
CBN News has reached out to USNH for comment. If we hear back, their response will be posted here.
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